Firearms equipped with electronic activation/de-activation devices are known. EP0912871 B1 describes a firearm which has a safety feature which includes an electronically controlled locking mechanism which blocks the firing mechanism of the firearm. The locking mechanism is coupled with a transmitter/receiver unit provided on the firearm. A second transmitter/receiver unit is provided to an authorised user. The transmitter/receiver unit of the firearm wirelessly exchanges coded signals with the authorised user's device so that when the firearm is within a pre-determined distance range from the authorised user and the identification codes of the devices match, the locking mechanism is released. Such a system is useful to prevent the use or misuse of the firearm by any person other than the authorised user, by e.g. a criminal, a child, a mentally disabled person or by anyone else when the firearm is outside the pre-determined distance range from the authorised user who has the transmitter/receiver. The known device, however, cannot prevent the authorised user from accidentally or intentionally firing the weapon in a place or circumstance where firing is prohibited altogether.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety system for a firearm which obviates the above problem.